GC4 Update November, 2011
Namaskar It is our pleasure to update you on the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center. This unique public private partnership is making daily progress towards achieving our goals of Increased Capacity, Decreased Costs, and a Cleft Free Assam. November has been another month full of progress and evolution at GC4, and we very much hope you enjoy this update. -‐-‐Team Guwahati
GC4 Performs 3 04 Surgeries in November We have broken our old record of 237 surgeries in a month, operating on 304 patients in November! This occurred as GC4 has become fully self-‐sufficient, marking a successful transition from large-‐scale missions in Guwahati to a full time, high volume, sustainable cleft care center. We run three general anesthesia tables a day, and hosted a group of international volunteers from November 12-‐20 to expand to four tables for that period while exchanging expertise and developing new friendships. “We are really proud of our Team, who have maintained a central focus on safety and quality in order to raise the bar for cleft care in the developing world. More impressive than our surgical volume is the overall care of our patients. The complication rate has fallen by 80% since the Center started, and our nearly 500 postoperative evaluations this month demonstrates superb attention to long-‐term patient care. This is a great Team, constantly looking to improve.” -‐-‐Alex Campbell, MD (Medical Director)
GC4 Center Director, Mahesh Deori
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We are pleased to welcome Mahesh, who joined Team Guwahati at the beginning of October as our Center Director. In this role, he oversees all operations and functions at GC4. He has quickly become a valuable leader, sharing his warm smile and “can-‐do” attitude to improve our Center daily.
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carry GC4 Training Programs Education and Training are central to developing a model of excellence and sustainability. We are constantly working to expand knowledge and skills of all members of our staff, and have created a Team that is highly specialized and proficient in pediatric surgical care. Our Center has now become a resource site, with a steady inflow of visitors coming to train at GC4. Our providers are also traveling to missions outside of Guwahati in order to teach others in India about quality cleft care.
25 Indian Nurses trained in comprehensive cleft care. § 79 American Heart Association Certifications §
o 60 BLS (Basic Life Support) o 14 PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) o 5 ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) §
14 Surgical Fellows have rotated at GC4 for training in cleft care.
Patient Follow Up Programs: Our follow-‐up campaign continues to surge forward, breaking the previous record with 491 follow up examinations in November! The Team works very hard to help patients overcome the barriers to returning for these visits, which are critical for evaluation of outcomes and providing future treatment. Our District Outreach Follow-‐up and Speech Therapy (DOFAST) program visited Nagaon and Kamrup in November, where our plastic surgeons, Patient Counselors, and speech therapist provided care to 192 additional children. These programs are expanding our patients’ access to follow up care and speech therapy at local levels.
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Patient Counselor Program
Our team of Operation Smile Patient Counselors continues to canvas the state in order to identify, educate, and organize surgery for our patients. They are vital to developing and maintaining collaborations with our local partners throughout rural Assam, and their interactions with patients, families, and local healthcare workers extend our care to those in need. These young men and women are offering the miracle of cleft care to the most remote and challenging of regions, and creating strategies that can be used throughout the world. On November 28th, a new class of Patient Counselors joined Team Guwahati. They received orientation and training and are now ready to help us achieve a cleft free Assam-‐-‐ district by district, block by block, and village by village.
Expansion of Services: FACT: 80% of cleft palate patients suffer from middle ear disease.
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Dr. Vivek Argawal is a Guwahati native and an accomplished Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist. He joined our team in November, and is making significant contributions to our comprehensive care of patients. Dr. Argawal loves the pace, energy, and interaction at GC4, and is excited about treating large volumes of challenging patients in order to maximize hearing, speech, and respiratory airflow.
GC4 Nurses and Community Outreach in Guwahati
Meals for Street Kids “We cook food and provide free meals to street kids in Guwahati every Sunday. Numerous members of the GC4 staff have gotten involved and we serve approximately 50 meals per week to very needy and appreciative children.” -‐-‐Kristin Lay, RN Nurse Manager, Post Anesthesia Care Unit Street Kid Days at Snehalaya Orphanage “Motivated to do more than simply pass by the street kids near the hospital, we have teamed up with a local orphanage to have special days for these children. We pick them up, give them food, baths, and delousing treatment. The day is focused on them as children, and each gets a new outfit. They love playing games with our volunteers.” -‐-‐Susanna Stevens, RN Nursing Supervisor Rosie Borey, RN Rosie Borey is an operating room nurse from Australia who has been involved with Operation Smile for 3 years. She learned about the project in Guwahati while on a mission in Brazil, and immediately was drawn to join our cause. Rosie joined Team Guwahati last December as a core international specialist, charged with creating and implementing nursing practices and procedures in the operating room. She is the founding OR Nurse Manager at GC4, and has been critical to developing a safe and efficient operating theater, capable of curing hundreds of children per month. She has trained a local OR Nursing Team of 7 members that is now redefining excellence in Operation Smile. Rosie finishes her term at GC4 at the end of November, and leaves behind her masterpiece that is the GC4 Operating Theater. You are a real star, Rosie, and we deeply thank you for your love and commitment in building this magical Center. A truly excellent performance! Much Love,
-‐-‐Team Guwahati 5